Coalescence of surface bubbles: The crucial role of motion-induced dynamic adsorption layer

The formation of motion-induced dynamic adsorption layers of surfactants at the surface of rising bubbles is a widely accepted phenomenon. Although their existence and formation kinetics have been theoretically postulated and confirmed in many experimental reports, the investigations primarily remain qualitative in nature. In this paper we present results that, to the best of our knowledge, provide a first quantitative proof of the influence of the dynamic adsorption layer on drainage dynamics of a single foam film formed under dynamic conditions. This is achieved by measuring the drainage dynamics of single foam films, formed by air bubbles of millimetric size colliding against the interface between n-octanol solutions and air. This was repeated for a total of five different surfactant concentrations and two different liquid column heights. All three steps preceding foam film rupture, namely the rising, bouncing and drainage steps, were sequentially examined. In particular, the morphology of the single film formed during the drainage step was analyzed considering the rising and bouncing history of the bubble. It was found that, depending on the motion-induced state of adsorption layer at the bubble surface during the rising and the bouncing steps, single foam film drainage dynamics can be spectacularly different. Using Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS), it was revealed that surfactant redistribution can occur at the bubble surface as a result of the bouncing dynamics (approach-bounce cycles), strongly affecting the interfacial mobility, and leading to slower rates of foam film drainage. Since the bouncing amplitude directly depends on the rising velocity, which correlates in turn with the adsorption layer of surfactants at the bubble surface during the rising step, it is demonstrated that the lifetime of surface bubbles should intimately be related to the history of their formation.

Effects of N-Alkanol Adsorption on Bubble Acceleration and Local Velocities in Solutions of the Homologous Series from Ethanol to N-Decanol

The influence of n-alkanol (C2-C10) water solutions on bubble motion was studied in a wide range of concentrations. Initial bubble acceleration, as well as local, maximal and terminal velocities during motion were studied as a function of motion time. Generally, two types of velocity profiles were observed. For low surface-active alkanols (C2-C4), bubble acceleration and terminal velocities diminished with the increase in solution concentration and adsorption coverage. No maximum velocities were distinguished. The situation is much more complicated for higher surface-active alkanols (C5-C10). In low and medium solution concentrations, bubbles detached from the capillary with acceleration comparable to gravitational acceleration, and profiles of the local velocities showed maxima. The terminal velocity of bubbles decreased with increasing adsorption coverage. The heights and widths of the maximum diminished with increasing solution concentration. Much lower initial acceleration values and no maxima presence were observed in the case of the highest n-alkanol concentrations (C5-C10). Nevertheless, in these solutions, the observed terminal velocities were significantly higher than in the case of bubbles moving in solutions of lower concentration (C2-C4). The observed differences were explained by different states of the adsorption layer in the studied solutions, leading to varying degrees of immobilization of the bubble interface, which generates other hydrodynamic conditions of bubble motion.

Atomistic investigation on the kinetic behavior of vapour adsorption and cluster evolution using a statistical rate theory approach

The kinetic behavior of vapor adsorption on a solid surface in an isobaric-isothermal system is investigated by means of molecular dynamics simulations combined with theoretical studies through a statistical rate theory approach. The molecular insights into the formation and evolution of clusters in the adsorbate are presented. Results show that the argon vapor is adsorbed on the silicon surface as different types of clusters. In the initial stage of adsorption, the empty adsorption sites on the surface decrease, and the adsorbed single-molecule-cluster grows rapidly and dominates the interface. The increasing rate of the adsorbed cluster and the declining rate of the empty adsorption site are dependent on the pressure ratio. For a large pressure ratio, the single-molecule-clusters are aggregated to incubate large clusters, and the fraction of a single-molecule-cluster is decreased with time. When the adsorption isotherm is determined, the chemical potential of the adsorbed cluster is expressed from the zeta isotherm model. Then the adsorption kinetics are analyzed through the statistical rate theory. The molecular exchange rate and the instantaneous driving force are calculated. The higher pressure ratio induces the larger chemical potential difference and accelerates the net adsorption rate. The adsorption kinetics derived from MD simulations are in close agreement with the theoretical analysis of the statistical rate theory.

Stability of Liquid Films Formed by a Single Bubble and Droplet at Liquid/Gas and Liquid/Liquid Interfaces in Bovine Serum Albumin Solutions

The properties of thin liquid films are usually investigated under static conditions, isolated from external disturbances. Such studies provide vital information about the drainage mechanism of the thin liquid film, but the conditions of these measurements are vastly different from those that occur when a real dispersed system is created. In this paper, we present elaborated methodologies that allow qualitative and quantitative measurements of the stability of both the emulsion and foam films formed by a single bubble and droplet at liquid/gas and liquid/liquid interfaces, where the hydrodynamic factors are of crucial importance. The experiments were performed in a bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution at different pH values. The adsorption behavior of BSA under different pH conditions at the liquid/gas and liquid/liquid interface is described, and its implication for the single bubble/droplet motion and liquid film drainage is analyzed. The mechanism of thin-liquid-film stabilization by the BSA molecules is shown to be significantly different for the foam and emulsion films and depends significantly on the bubble history as well as the pH of the BSA solution. Additionally, the results obtained for BSA were compared to those acquired for a typical surface-active substance, sodium lauryl sulfate. The similarities and differences in the rising bubble/droplet dynamics (caused by different dynamic adsorption layer architectures) and foam and emulsion film stabilization by these two types of stabilizers under dynamic conditions are shown and discussed.

Mitigating Bubble Traffic in Gas-Evolving Electrodes via Spinodally Derived Architectures

Porous electrodes are widely used in the industry because of their high surface area to volume ratio. However, the stochastic morphology of most commercially available porous electrodes results in poor electrical connections in the solid phase and inefficient mass transport through the pore phase. This can be especially detrimental for gas-evolving processes such as water electrolysis for hydrogen and oxygen generation. Bicontinuous interfacially jammed emulsion gels (bijels) offer templates from which to create porous electrodes with robust solid-state interconnectivity and a uniform pore structure that facilitate improved electron and mass transport. In this study, gas release rates and electrochemical experiments are utilized to study the effects of powder- and bijel-derived microstructures on hydrogen generation by water electrolysis. The bijel-derived electrodes are shown to expel product gas faster and require up to 25% less overpotential to drive water electrolysis over the range of current densities tested (-5 to -40 mA/cm²) than their powder-derived analogs. Our findings suggest that the uniform and bicontinuous domains of bijel-derived porous electrodes can mitigate the limited current distribution and deleterious bubble effect found in stochastic electrodes, in turn improving the overall performance of electrolytic processes requiring transport of gaseous species.

Lifetime of Surface Bubbles in Surfactant Solutions

Despite the prevalence of surface bubbles in many natural phenomena and engineering applications, the effect of surfactants on their surface residence time is not clear. Numerous experimental studies and theoretical models exist but a clear understanding of the film drainage phenomena is still lacking. In particular, theoretical work predicting the drainage rate of the thin film between a bubble and the free surface in the presence and absence of surfactants usually makes use of the lubrication theory. On the other hand, in numerous natural situations and experimental works, the bubble approaches the free surface from a certain distance and forms a thin film at a later stage. This article attempts to bridge these two approaches. In particular, in this article, we review these works and compare them to our direct numerical simulations where we study the coupled influence of bubble deformation and surfactants on the rising and drainage process of a bubble beneath a free surface. In the present study, the level-set method is used to capture the air-liquid interfaces, and the transport equation of surfactants is solved in an Eulerian framework. The axisymmetric simulations capture the bubble acceleration, deformation, and rest (or drainage) phases from nondeformable to deformable bubbles, as measured by the Bond number (Bo), and from surfactant-free to surfactant-coated bubbles, as measured by the Langmuir number (La). The results show that the distance h between the bubble and the free surface decays exponentially for surfactant-free interfaces (La = 0), and this decay is faster for nondeformable bubbles (Bo ≪ 1) than for deformable ones (Bo ≫ 1). The presence of surfactants (La > 0) slows the decay of h, exponentially for large bubbles (Bo ≫ 1) and algebraically for small ones (Bo ≪ 1). For Bo ≈ 1, the lifetime is the longest and is associated with the (Marangoni) elasticity of the interfaces.

On importance of external conditions and properties of the interacting phases in formation and stability of symmetrical and unsymmetrical liquid films

Importance of external conditions and properties of phases creating liquid films, in outcome of the air bubble collisions with liquid/air and liquid/solids interfaces in clean water and in liquid solutions, is critically reviewed. The review is focussed on initial stages of the liquid films formation by bubbles colliding with interfaces, as well as, on analysis of the most important factors responsible for the collision's outcome, that is, either the rapid bubble bouncing or formation of the symmetrical or unsymmetrical liquid films and their thinning to the critical rupture thicknesses. Data on formation of liquid films under dynamic conditions, both in pure liquids and solutions of electrolytes and various surface-active substances, are reviewed and importance of hydrodynamic boundary conditions at interacting interfaces for energy balance in the system is discussed. It is shown that the liquid films stability, which in stagnant systems are directly determined by properties of the liquid/gas and liquid/solid interfaces, can be quite different in dynamic environment. A mechanism of the bubble bouncing from various interfaces in terms of interplay between energy exchange and kinetics of liquid film drainage is analyzed. It is shown that this mechanism is universal and irrelevant on the nature of interacting phases. Moreover, mechanisms responsible for wetting (unsymmetrical) film stability under dynamic conditions are discussed in light of the most recent studies, showing a crucial role of electrolyte, kind and concentration of surface-active substances, electrical surface charge, hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties of solids and presence of air entrapped (nano- and/or micro-bubbles) at surfaces of highly hydrophobic solids in the liquid films rupture.

Coalescence or Bounce? How Surfactant Adsorption in Milliseconds Affects Bubble Collision

The coalescence between two colliding bubbles in ultraclean water can be 3 or 4 orders of magnitude faster than coalescence in contaminated solutions. This surprising result can be mostly explained by the mobile or immobile boundary conditions at the air-water interface. In this work, we employ a rising bubble technique to study bubble collisions in aqueous solutions with up to 2 mM surfactant. The experimental results clearly show that freshly generated bubbles can coalesce within milliseconds if they collide right after generation. However, once the bubbles reside in the bulk for tens of milliseconds, the coalescence is heavily hindered. Considering these results, we conclude that a clean air-water interface, rather than clean water, is required to achieve the mobile boundary condition that allows quick coalescence. These findings provide fundamental understanding for further improvements in bubble generation that will benefit industrial processes such as mineral flotation, oil extraction, and wastewater treatment.

Automatic Single Droplet Generator with Control over Droplet Size and Detachment Frequency

This paper presents a quite simple, fully automatized single droplet generator, which can be an alternative for more expensive and complicated microfluidic devices. The simple generation nozzle connected to the pressure cells and cheap peristaltic pumps, synchronized via developed software with simple GUI (graphical user interface) implemented into the Raspberry Pi microcomputer allows precise control over the single droplet diameter and detachment frequency. The generator allows the formation of droplets of quite wide range of diameters without the need of orifice diameter replacements. Free control over time available for adsorption of surface active-substances over the surface of immobilized droplet, before its detachment from the orifice, is an advantage of the developed device.